Going to the Match brought L.S. Lowry’s celebrated 1953 painting to Bury Art Museum alongside photography, memorabilia and community contributions examining football support across the North West. British Culture Archive loaned photographs by Pete Hill and Tony Davis from its collection.
Presented at Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre from 4th October 2024 to 1st March 2025, Going to the Matchexplored the culture surrounding football and its supporters across the North West.
The exhibition accompanied the display of L.S. Lowry’s 1953 painting Going to the Match, which depicts crowds approaching Burnden Park, the former home of Bolton Wanderers.
British Culture Archive contributed photographs by Pete Hill and Tony Davis.
In 1977, Sheffield photographer Pete Hill documented Manchester United and Leeds United supporters arriving in Sheffield for the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough. Hill photographed supporters on Penistone Road, in the city centre and during the long walk towards the stadium. Manchester United won the match 2–1 before defeating Liverpool in the final at Wembley.
Tony Davis’s photographs show Manchester United supporters at Wembley for the 1990 FA Cup Final.
Together, the photographs connect two periods of football support: the large travelling crowds of the 1970s and the changing culture around the game at the beginning of the 1990s.
The exhibition also included portraits of Bury’s female supporters by Jacqui McAssey, Zoe Hitchen and Madeleine Penfold, originally published in issue seven of McAssey’s GIRLFANS fanzine.
Debs Parr presented her Bolton Fems portraits alongside photographs of Bury supporters commissioned by Bury Art Museum in 2024. Further contributions came from Bury Cine Society, Bury Photography Society and local poet Chris Bainbridge, with Bury Football Club memorabilia drawn from the museum’s collection.
Painted in 1953, Going to the Match shows supporters arriving at Bolton Wanderers’ former Burnden Park ground. The painting was acquired by The Lowry in 2022 and subsequently toured venues across the North West, including Bury Art Museum. The Lowry’s official tour record provides further information about the painting and its regional display.
Venue: Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre
Dates: 4th October 2024 – 1st March 2025
Organised by: Bury Art Museum
British Culture Archive contribution: Photographs by Pete Hill and Tony Davis loaned from the BCA collection
